Thursday, July 9, 2009

North Carolina girl with Down syndrome swims toward success

From The News-Record:

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Twelve-year-old Courtney Pyburn (pictured) displays all the warning signs of a swim-a-holic.

For starters, she has a clear-cut case of pool toe. And when the family skips a day on the water, she's got that pleading look in her eye.

Sunburns? Oh, yes. And plenty of blisters to prove it.

"You can reapply sunscreen on her at every break and she'll still get sunburnt," says her mother, Michelle, "because she's in the water all day. You have to make her get out."

Though it might not be nearly enough for her aquatic tastes, Courtney gets plenty of pool time as part of the Adams Farm Aqua Dragons. She's in her second year on the team, and was one of the many athletes in the pool doing laps during a recent practice in preparation for the upcoming Community Swim Association City Meet, although she won't compete this weekend because of a family trip.

But Courtney's story is slightly different than those of the teammates she loves goofing around with. And it's certainly one that will put a smile on your face.

Courtney was born with Down syndrome, a chromosomal disorder affecting more than 400,000 people in the United States. Individuals may display a variety of traits that range from cognitive delays to physical features, and they are more at risk for certain conditions.

But, as her mom puts it, Courtney doesn't really have any idea what Down syndrome entails.

"Basically, when we found out when she was born, when we found out that she had Down syndrome, my husband (Phil) and I have always treated Courtney like a regular kid," Michelle says. "She's a typical kid, and we've been very strict about that."

That extends to the classroom as well as the pool. Teachers and coaches are not to give her special treatment, because "it might take her longer to learn something or do something, but she's still going to be able to do it."

Take a recent example when the team was participating in an event called Swim for Cancer. Michelle caught Courtney bouncing up and down on her feet while the others were stroking away.

"Hey, SWIM! It's not 'Walk for Cancer,' it's 'Swim for Cancer!" she yelled as the coaches started laughing.

Still, the decision to put Courtney on the Adams Farm team was a tough one. Michelle was hesitant because of her daughter's condition and wondered if the team would even let her swim. Sure, Courtney had always loved paddling away in the river by her grandparents' house, but a team and official races is a different world.

Turns out there was nothing to worry about.

Courtney has thrived in the team atmosphere, even though her coach initially worried that she might not be able to make it all the way to the finish line. She's developed into a strong swimmer — mainly in the freestyle and backstroke — placing for the Aqua Dragons and garnering team points during the CSA's weekly meets.

"Coaching Courtney is actually really easy because she's really good at listening, and she has a lot of talent," says Hanne Parmele, the Adams Farm coach. "It's really no different than coaching any other kids, honestly, because she does work so well."

Last season she won the most improved swimmer award, which was especially significant after the Aqua Dragons had to deal with the sudden death of coach Adam Gerken.

Courtney had a tough time with the loss initially, as she continued to look for him at the pool.

" 'No matter what, she always had a smile on her face for me.' That's what he always said," Michelle remembers.

But Gerken and Parmele had already discussed the improved swimmer award before the tragedy, and decided it would go to Courtney.

She's become a huge hit at meets, too, during the last two years. Both teams will rally to cheer her on when she's finishing, and she's a recognizable figure out of the pool.

"She just eats it up," Michelle says.

And what does Courtney do when the crowd is yelling during her races?

"Keep going," she replies.

Well, sometimes.

There was that one time at the City Meet last year when everyone was cheering crazily as she swam toward the finish, "Go, Courtney, go!"

So she politely stopped midstroke, waved to the fans, then continued on her way.

"Every single time she swims a race, and usually backstroke when she can see us and we're standing on the side, and if she sees us cheering for her she smiles at us," Parmele says.

While it's obvious that Courtney's enthusiasm has touched a lot of people, the Pyburns also have benefited from her swimming. Courtney has made friends with many of the youngsters she'll be attending middle school with in the fall, and she's had plenty of fun swimming with little sister Taylor (Courtney likes tackling her in the pool).

The swimming helps her muscle tone and weight — typical issues with Down syndrome — and the inclusive and slightly less competitive atmosphere of the sport has been a big plus for the family.

"No one gets excluded if they're not one of the best swimmers or players on the team," Parmele says. "Other sports, there's a roster. Only a certain amount of kids on the field at once. And swimming, it's much more individual in that you're competing against yourself as well as the other teams. So everyone can do it, because there's always someone for you to beat, and that's yourself."

Courtney's experience isn't the general rule, of course. Guilford/Greensboro Special Olympics aquatics coach David Munch — whose son Alex is an accomplished swimmer with Down syndrome — points out that the ability level of disabled athletes varies widely.

And he rates swimming as one of the lowest participation sports in the area's Special Olympics program, perhaps because parents are more comfortable with their children in other sports because of uneasiness about the water.

But in his 18 years of coaching, Munch also has seen the positives that come from the experience.

"I finally came to the conclusion over the years that I teach them how to swim, they teach me how to live," he said.

And Courtney, whose abilities have obviously allowed her to fit right into the Adams Farm squad, has experienced an aspect of the sport that allows someone without all-star ability to thrive in the regular team environment. Michelle is considering Special Olympics swimming in the future and thinks her daughter will swim in high school, as well.

"What she lacks in skill, she more than makes up for in enthusiasm," Michelle says. "Because she's just a team player, she's always got a smile on her face."